Highlights
- BTS’ Peru debut generated significant economic activity across Lima.
- Sold-out concerts boosted demand for tourism and local transport.
- Jimin’s birthday tributes and RM’s privacy comments drew attention during the Lima shows.
BTS’ first visit to Peru generated an estimated 200M Peruvian soles (S/) (~$58.4M USD) in economic activity, with 151.5K attendees across three sold-out concerts in Lima. The Oct 7, 9, and 10, 2026, performances at Estadio San Marcos formed part of the group’s ARIRANG world tour.
The concerts also drove increased demand for tourism and transportation.
Big Hit Music initially scheduled two shows but added a third date after strong demand. The resulting economic impact, widely described as “BTSNomics,” extends beyond ticket sales to businesses across the Peruvian capital.
BTS Concerts Drive Tourism and Transport Demand
Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism projected that more than 50K people would visit Lima for the concerts, generating ₩25.1B, (~$18.7M), in tourism-related economic activity. Separately, the Lima Chamber of Commerce estimated broader activity of up to S/200M, including transportation, covering accommodation, food and beverages, tourism, and merchandise.
These figures are estimates, not confirmed final earnings.
Local transport demand also surged. Ride-hailing platform Cabify recorded requests to Estadio San Marcos at up to 15 times normal levels, rising to 48 times the usual level after a performance, according to the reported figures.
BTS Fans Celebrate Jimin’s Birthday as RM Addresses Privacy Concerns
Fans marked Jimin’s Oct 13 birthday with digital billboards, LED trucks, street banners, and a drone show. At the final concert, the audience sang “Happy Birthday” and chanted his name. Jimin thanked fans for their warm welcome and support, expressing how deeply he valued the affection they had shown him despite the distance.
RM also clarified that his request for fans not to gather outside the group’s hotel was not aimed at Peru or Latin America.
He cited drones over hotel rooms and lasers as intrusive behavior, adding that similar incidents had occurred in Europe and the United States (U.S.). He said he believed respectful fans far outnumbered those crossing boundaries.
BTS’ South American tour continues in Santiago, Chile, from Oct 14 to 17, 2026, followed by Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo, Brazil.
